We didn't crash, okay?

"Hey, you're not going to crash this year are you?"
[some guy who thought he was the first person to say this...]

"Weren't you and your son in the ditch last year?"
[this older woman with a heavy foreign accent]

"I bet this doesn't hurt nearly as bad as last year!"
[another guy who thought he was the first person to say this to us...
see, he was talking about the effort of the ride this year
and comparing it to the pain of the crash last year, get it?
jokes are never as funny when you have to explain them]

"Aren't you the guys that crashed last year? Keep the rubber side down ya hear?"
[another guy who thought he was the first - well, you get the idea...
he probably drives a pickup]

"Look, I got a new bike!"
[the guy who fell into us when we crashed last year]

Ha, ha. Good grief, we sure made a name for ourselves on this ride last year. But don't get me wrong - it was great. I just had to put up with the same thing being asked of us and stated to us for three days. Not a big price to pay really. And Cameron didn't seem to mind... Must be an adult hang-up.

This year we started off with some training! Sure, it was a hike and not a ride but you do what you can. And since I can't ride that much these days (it's the every other week thing I've got going on), it's become my strategy instead to just show up to these events very well rested. So far, it's been working out fairly well.

All our equipment worked flawlessly this year as we didn't have to deal with any of it impacting the asphalt. But, I noticed AFTER the ride was finished that I had some smudge on my camera lens the whole time... You'll notice this patch of blurriness in the right side of almost every picture. [sigh] But the weather was perfect! Warm but not too hot and whereas last year and three years ago we all froze at the start of every day, this time round we were able to start in short sleeves every morning. I heard it was raining on the west side of the Cascades Monday morning - by the time we crested Stevens Pass, it was nice, nice, nice.

If you want to jump straight to the pictures, try one of these links here.

If you can stand to wait, read on and you'll see them one by one. Enjoy.

Disclaimer - Yeah, the thumbnail images are small, but there's a lot of 'em on this page. I didn't want it to take forever to load. So sue me.

Day One

The alarm bell rings. What's that sound? I stumble to the window. It doesn't look so good. It's just hammering down rain and we have to leave in one hour. Guess I better go and pack...

And people want to start this thing so dang EARLY! What's with that? Cameron wasn't down with that either.

It was a sign of things to come. About half way across Lake WA, the rain stops. By the time we drive by Factoria Square, the roads are dry. As we pull into the parking lot at the start, the sun roof is open

Mmmm, food... Luckily we knew from past experience that they feed you incredibly well on the Courage Classic so there was no need to waste time at home making breakfast. All we had to do was get to the start and we were able to fuel up on muffins, bagels, fruit, some sort of mystery pastry (it had icing - Cameron liked it), coffee, sports drinks and I forget the rest.

We're off! Well almost... First Cameron had to get ready. You know, first he had to:

attach a twist-tie to his bell	get a little grumpy	pretend to eat his grip

A friend of mine from college called me up about one week prior to this ride and asked if we wanted some company. I said 'sure', so here's a picture of Craig at the start. Thanks SO much for riding with us Craig - how cool.

Good thing too, as we are always hard pressed to get someone to take pictures of BOTH of us on the ride. So, here are some:

#85 and #86 ready to go		maybe #85 wasn't quite ready yet

NOW we're off. And before you know it, here comes the first food stop. This was a trend that would repeat itself - have I mentioned that the Courage Classic is all about eating?

we saw a friend		a little chocolate Power Bar and a little PowerAde

Between the first food stop and lunch on 'Day 1' is the second prettiest stretch of road on the entire ride. We exit I-90 and head up towards the Denny Creek campground and follow the Denny Creek road all the way up to Snoqualmie Summit. This section of road has recently been re-paved and on a sunny day in the summer, the leaves on the trees filter the light, it's quiet, phenomenally green and just incredibly beautiful. Oh yeah, and there are salmon berries here too. Loads.

for some people, even this was too steep			Cameron trying to help me ride faster

Craig	yep, it was pretty warm	near the top

The last mile of the Denny Creek road does a couple switch backs and just like last year, Cameron was off the bike and climbing up the shortcut.

Lunch is right at the summit. You pop out on the Denny Creek road right at the entrance to Alpental and all you have to do is ride under I-90 and you can start eating. Which we did. Lunch on the first day is a huge spaghetti feed complete with freshly grated parmesan cheese, salad, fresh fruit, garlic bread and desert.

Cameron gave it his best shot		but ended up eating too much

Every year it seems, Cameron manages to sneak off with the camera and go on a little photo-shooting spree. This year it happened at the first lunch stop.

the hay bale opposite us	self-portrait	some balloons	more balloons

Craig's parents drove up to see him at the first lunch stop - that was so nice. We managed to wrestle the camera back from Cameron and snap a few pictures before we left the lunch stop.

Martin and Craig	Craig's mother	Cameron, Craig's parents

Now we got to descend! All the way to the next food stop... This one was ice cream sundays served next to the beach of Lake Easton. Oh yeah, complete with bananas, nuts, whipped cream and chocolate AND strawberry topping. As we rolled into the food stop, Cameron attempted an advanced version of this new trick he's been practicing. He loves to dismount/mount the tandem while we're moving. Now usually he does this when the bike is rolling along at about 3 or 4 mph. But I guess the anticipation of the ice cream was just too much and tried for the 'get off' at about 10 mph. Needless to say, he took a tumble and ended up scraping his elbow and hip a tad. Nothing a huge sunday couldn't fix thank goodness. So just to set the record straight - we didn't crash, okay?

Craig	Cameron enjoying his sunday	the food stop

Not much further now, just through the hopping metropolis of Easton and then another stretch along I-90, exit the freeway, one last hill and you're home. Say hello to the baseball field behind Cle Elum high school.

Craig had some green shorts to match his green tent. He must have been awake when he packed his clothes...

What's the first thing you want to do when you arrive? That's right, shower! The Courage Classic provides a shower truck for us each day and it runs in the morning AND the evening until 8 PM. Very cool. Of course after you shower, you need to dry all your things..

Cameron discovered a new favorite drink on this ride - All Sport. Yuck...

For some reason, I forgot to take pictures at dinner. On the first evening, this is a huge affair. Like some southern BBQ with all the cooks dressed in jeans, boots and hats. They serve beef, salmon, potatoes, pasta, rice, salad, rolls, desert and there was even a full bar this time. we sat on hay bales again and a DJ was spinning away. Soon we were notified that this was not JUST music, but that it was karaoke too... Just like at any karaoke party, there are always a few ringers and they hog the stage. Cameron and I went back to the tent and read some Harry Potter.

Day Two

We managed to fit all our stuff into two bags. Here Cameron is feeling all brawny and carrying our larger bag to the UPS trucks that portaged our gear from start to finish.

And here is Cameron giving it the old heave-ho into the luggage pile that the UPS drivers have to deal with every morning.

Right - breakfast time. We rode into town and ate at the same cafe that hosted our dinner extravaganza. Today our buffet consisted of ham, sausage, scrambled eggs with or without ham, fried potatoes, biscuits and gravy, rolls, croissants, pancakes, waffles, three different kinds of pastries and Jello. Just kidding, there wasn't any Jello. Having learned ONE thing from last year - it's that I can't tote Cameron along when I'm completely bloated on food; so I took it easy. 'Course that's a relative term now isn't it. But I was able to pedal...

Across some fields, over a few hills, around a corner or two and what do you know, it's the first food stop of the day. This is one of Cameron's favorites because they have all this Halloween candy - mini Snickers, 3 Musketeers, Milky Way, you get the idea.

At least after this food stop you get to do some real climbing. It's fun though - the road slopes up very gently for quite a while and then it's only steep for the last two miles or so. Of course it's only like 10 miles from the last food stop to lunch but because all of it is uphill, you can actually work up an appetite if you didn't gorge yourself already. In case you haven't figured it out yet - this ride IS all about gorging yourself. Oh yeah, and 'doing it for the kids'...

the lunch stop as seen from the highway	the highway as seen from the lunch stop

Does it need saying...? Oh well, here goes. Lunch consisted of deli sandwiches, two different kinds of hot soup, fruit, melon (I know, that's fruit too but it was SO good I had to mention it special), cookies and loads of sports drinks. Oh yeah, and there was some candy too...

The descent on the first day was okay, but it's just this straight stretch of I-90 and it's not too scenic and it ends much too soon. Today on the other hand is different. You shoot all the way down Hwy 97 from Blewett Pass to Hwy 2. And you only have to pedal the last couple of miles. Thank GOODness there is another food stop right where the road levels out some - a guy has to keep up his energy level!

ASIDE - this is the stretch where we fell last year. Just so you know, the road is all brand new pavement now and it's safe, safe, safe. And smooth, smooth, smooth which makes for a fun, fun, fun trip down.

Snow cones. Yep, they go all out on this ride, and honestly, they taste pretty good when it's 80+ degrees out and you've just been dehydrated by sucking warm air at speed for 10 miles. And fortunately, they keep your blood sugar level up by keeping the candy coming. Red Vines, Laffy Taffy - no wonder Cameron likes this ride...

Laffy Taffy	finally getting Cameron to adjust his clothing to the weather	Cameron and Martin
[note Laffy Taffy in mouth]	[note Laffy Taffy in both hands while undressing]	[note Laffy Taffy in mouth, in both hands, on shirt...]

From here we rode the last couple of miles down Hwy 97 and then thankfully, the route bypasses all but .5 miles of Hwy 2 on the way into Leavenworth. We took a scenic detour through the orchards just north of the highway by Peshastin. Very nice. Cameron kept wanting to stop and grab apples and pears from the trees but I knew that if we did stop, I'd never get going again so we pressed on to camp.

the healing hands that await you after every day	initial post-ride carnage

This is THE night on the Courage Classic. Oh sure, you can hit the Brick (a tavern) in Rosalyn and get blotto but I recommend you save it for Leavenworth. Here they have ice cream, a public pool, ice cream, a brewery, ice cream, a beer garden all to ourselves and you can have ice cream for desert. First, we had to hit to pool. Last year, this was all under construction and we were bummed... Well now it's finished; and they did a great job. The shallow end slopes gently from nothing to about 4' deep. The deep end has a diving board and room for laps. And of course there is the mushroom fountain, jets coming out of the ground and they let you jump in from the side. How cool is that.

the shallow end	the frog slide	the mushroom fountain
Well, we just HAD to make a couple of movies!

Whew, with the pool out of the way, it was time to hit the town and get some, oh I don't know, ice cream perhaps...?

As we returned to camp, I could not help thinking that it looked just like a tent city. [that's because it is a tent city Martin...] We really have fantastic camp sites you know - they're all grass and level and dry and the weather is great. I like that.

Time for another shower, wash the clothes, hang them up to dry and get ready for dinner... God, I was pretty full by this point. Nothing like a hugemongous waffle cone to dent your appetite. Boy howdy. But with five years of this eating pace under our belts, we were able to rally.

Of course, most of the participants also have plenty of experience with binging so the food line was heinous.

Every year they do a little 'awards ceremony' of sorts at this dinner. It's really just a time to pump the corporate sponsors but they do recognize quite a few individuals as well. And ever so often, you get a very moving story related to you.

After eating more beef, potatoes, salad, beans, rolls and carrot cake, it's time to head across the street to the beer garden for - in Cameron's case - more food.

Did you know that if you block out certain letters of 'Courage Classic', you get 'rage ass'...? I didn't either until this night. Count yourself among the lucky ones for sure.

Day Three

Breakfast. Pancakes, oatmeal, scrambled eggs and that's it! We're totally roughing it this morning. But as you can see, the weather is making up for that. Warm, blue skies and off we go up to Plain via the Chumstick Hwy. This is a beautiful, windy road and you don't encounter much traffic. Except for the one spot of new construction that is.

You actually climb quite a bit riding up to Plain. But once you crest the ridge, you get a kick-ass descent into the first food stop. It's only about 1.5 miles but every bit of that kicks all kinds of - well, you get the idea. Costco (I think) muffins, bagels, fruit, lousy energy drinks and we're off again.

Food stop number 2. And just in time - there wasn't any candy at the last one... Here they make up for that lapse in planing BIGtime. Root beer floats, sour gummy worms, mini candy bars, about 10 different varieties of cookies, more lame energy drinks (can't they just buy Gatorade?) and hula-hoop contests. Martin looses control and has two floats.

Right. The next part of the ride was pretty hard and I didn't take any pictures because 1) I had just had two root beer floats and 2) it was a steep hill. You climb up to Stevens Pass on Hwy 2 but it's okay as there is a nice shoulder all the way up. There is one more water/toilet stop on the way to the summit which is a good thing as some people were climbing at a slower pace than other if you know what I mean... At the summit, they moved the lunch stop across the street to the base of the ski area. Improvement! It used to be in the dirt parking lot next to the road, now we have a roof (didn't need it luckily), indoor restrooms (loved that - I had to rinse the sweat out of my eyes in the sink) and a fabulous view of the ski hill.

We also had this nazi rotarian/volunteer that apparently needed to have this damn electric bubble machine turned on and aimed right at me. I guess she was totally convinced of the esthetic value of all these soap bubbles landing in people's food; and when I tried to aim it a little to the side, she actually told me, "Don't touch." Nice... Her reasoning for me NOT aiming it away from me was that then it would blow bubbles on other people's food. Hello, what about MY food? But then some kids tried to play with it and after this obviously no kid-having, issue-harboring, needing-to-exercise authority woman almost physically moved one child away from the machine, this other rotarian gently told her, "Hey, let's just let the kids play with the bubble machine, okay?" That was the last straw. She unplugged the machine and packed it up. As she sulked off, I heard her mumble something in response to one kid's query about why the bubbles were leaving along the lines of, "Well, some people don't seem to like the bubbles and it just isn't safe to have an electronic device out where kids can get at it..."

But, that didn't ruin my lunch, no sir. It was sunny out and there is a chairlift that you can sit on outside the main lodge. It was facing the sun. 'Nuff said. Oops, how about baked potatoes, chili (beef AND veggie - yeah!), chips, salsa, all the usual potato toppings, candy (whew...) and cookies. There, now THAT'S 'nuff said.

the lunch stop	Craig having lunch	cute girl on rock	Cam on same rock

The descent from Stevens Pass is the fastest one of all. And what a view! You could see the old Stevens Pass Hwy on the other side of the valley. There was not much traffic, the shoulder was clean and it was F U N. On this part of the ride you hit my absolute favorite stretch of road. Once you have finished the steep part of the descent, you hang a right onto Goat Creek road. This parallels the highway but it's wooded, right next to the stream (Goat Creek), the pavement is flawless and it's still steep enough that you can leave it one of your largest gears and it feels like a ride at an amusement park! It's continually twisting and turning left and right and I just want to whoop out loud. I think I may have done that too. The light is dappled (love that word), it's SO green and the best part is it lasts for a few miles.

From here, it was back on Hwy 2 and into Skykomish where the ride finished. Land of the free(dom to be red necks), and home of the tavern that opens at noon every Sunday. I'm not complaining mind you, nothing feels quite so good as a cold beer after toting your son around in the mountains on a hot day. And of course they sold it to go as well.

The finish is at the local school. They have a covered basketball court and the shade does feel nice after so much time in the sun. After getting cleaned up, Craig and I went to the grassy hill across the street - really more of a dry, dirty burm next to the train tracks - and enjoyed the adult sodas we had purchased.

Cheers Craig, here's to you too. And thanks for a great ride.

And thanks to YOU (the charitable pledger) for making this possible yet again. 2003 rocked and we have every intention of returning in 2004.